Del Norte
Place Historic District
Staking
a claim -
The birth of a neighborhood
On the 21ts of April 1871,
William A. Hancock filed the first homestead patent to be
recorded at the Arizona Territorial Capital in Tucson. His
quarter section of land was then but a remote piece of
desert, miles from the infant settlement of Phoenix taking
root along the banks of the Salt River to the south. Today,
that land lies within the heart of the city and contains a
residential neighborhood that is an oasis in the bustling
core and a showplace of Phoenix history, development, and
architecture - Del Norte Place.
What the doctor ordered
In 1912, the Territory of Arizona became the 48th
state to be admitted to the Union. For the previous
19 years, Territorial Veterinarian Dr. James Collier Norton
had served under seven governors, overseeing the health of
the district's growing cattle industry. With statehood
granted, he resigned his government post, establishing a
dairy and constructing a home on the historic Hancock
homestead, which Norton had purchased at the turn of the
century. A visionary, Dr. Norton had anticipated residential
development on the southern half of this land. Shortly after
purchase, he planted prospective gridded streets with
tamarack, ash, and orange trees. With completion of his home
on the property's northern edge, a large two story Mission
Style structure he called Del Norte House, the scene was set
for development.
Booms,
floods and leapfrogs
The post war boom of the
"Roaring Twenties" signaled growth and prosperity throughout
the country. Phoenix was no exception as Arizona cotton was
in high demand. By 1920, the downtown core was well
developed, and a northward pattern of residential
construction had been established. However seasonal flooding
down the Cave Creek wash stymied growth between Central and
23rd Avenues, in the flood plain area where the Norton
property was located.
In 1921, a deluge force Phoenicians to confront the problem.
By 1923, construction was complete on the Cave Creek Dam and
canal system, bringing both flood control and rapid
development to this dormant cut of land. By 1927, the
country had discovered the therapeutic benefits of the
Arizona climate, Lindberg's Atlantic crossing popularized
flight, and regular air service to Phoenix brought visitor s
and settlers alike.
Now plotted, tree lined and flood free, Dr. Norton's dream -
Del Norte Place - was perfectly positioned for residential
development. Still just outside the city limits, Del Norte
Place received additional impetus from the benefits of
"leapfrogging," a strategy of building outside the
restrictive reach of city codes and taxes, then subsequently
annexing to obtain municipal services. On April 3, 1927, Del
Norte Place was opened to the public.
The house that Jack built
Platted between 15th and 17th Avenues, the original
Del Norte subdivision was created in 1927 and contained 84
lots bounded by Lewis Avenue on the north and Encanto
Boulevard on the south. Two years later, a second
subdivision would extend the district to its current
northern boundary at Virginia Avenue. Promoted as the
"beautiful subdivision" and "the countryside west of town,"
Del Norte was conceived as a neighborhood of English cottage
Style homes, an architectural revival that was gaining
nationwide popularity in the late 1920s. The mature trees
and vegetation of Del Norte reinforced this English imagery
and helped promote the style throughout Phoenix.
The homes, priced at $5,000 to $7,000, were constructed of
red birch with contrasting brick trim and steeply gabled
roofs. Del Norte was off the trolley line, and as many
owners were already driving automobiles, most homes were
constructed with accompanying garages.
Teaming with Dr. Norton in the early development of Del
Norte was J. Allen Ginn, Sr. A nationally recognized
horseman, Ginn moved to the valley from Texas in 1921. He
served as architect builder, and sales agent for the initial
phases of the project and was featured prominently in
promotion of the development. Gin's architectural styling
was on the cutting-edge of a rapidly shifting market and
helped secure the early success of Del Norte.
This success, through the end of the 1920's, was part of an
overall wave of prosperity throughout the Valley. In
addition to the residential boom, public and commercial
development was abundant. The Biltmore Hotel, the Heard
Museum, Phoenix College, and the Orpheum Theatre were all
developed at the end of the decade.
The end of an era
Del Norte was one of
the last Phoenix neighborhoods created by one individual who
exercised complete control over planning, development and
marketing of the project. With the 1930s came the Great
Depression. And while the strength of the local economy
withstood the initial assault, the growth of Phoenix
eventually waned as it had throughout the nation. Ten houses
were completed in Del Norte from 1930 to 1931 with
construction of the next ten spread over five more years.
The slowdown halted the efforts of Norton and Ginn, and the
team ceased to be a force in the completion of Del Norte.
In 1934, Dr. Norton sold the remainder of the parcel to the
City of Phoenix for the development of the Encanto Golf
Course. This land was joined with other parcels to create
the city's first large recreational park, which opened in
1937. The public project created a new identity for the
neighborhood. Surrounded on three sides by greenbelt, the
neighborhood was now promoted as "Del Norte Place…
In the Heart of the Park."
A boost from Uncle Sam
- The role of the FHA
In an attempt to loosen the grip of the economic
depression, Congress enacted the National Housing Act of
1934 to "…improve nationwide housing standards, provide
employment and stimulate industry, improve conditions with
respect to home mortgage financing, and to realize a greater
degree of stability in residential construction."
The legislation accomplished all of this and more. Under the
wing of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), generous
loan programs brought home financing within the reach of a
broad range of the American population. On the strength of
this support, a new generation of developers, contractors,
and realtors came to prominence in the Valley. Development
and construction resumed on a large scale.
Existing projects blossomed as well. The years from 1936
through 1941 brought the Del Norte neighborhood the most
rapid development in its history. A total of 77 of the
district's 151 homes were constructed during this period.
Inevitably, government assistance was accompanied by
government controls. As FHA financing brought new life to
Del Norte, FHA design standards brought a new look.
Simplified versions of the Period Revival styles emerged.
They were accompanied by adorned versions of earlier Period
Revival styles, notably Spanish Colonial Revival and
Monterey Styles representing more regional, southwestern
influences. These homes were typically one story, stuccoed
brick dwellings with low pitched tile roofs. Ornamentation
was generally limited to modest tile work, accentuating
rooflines
and doorways.
During this phase, an alternative to the Period Revivals
styles also gained in popularity. The early Ranch Style
house, a simple brick structure with projecting gabled wing
was an economical design, fashioned to meet the FHA
guidelines. The "L" shaped design was typically ornamented
with brick work and trademark small, circular window beside
the front door. This style gradually eclipsed the Period
Revivals to become the second most prevalent style of
architecture in the district.
On the home front
With the onset of the Second World War, growth
again was stifled. The war years marked the most restrictive
period of regulation in the history of the American housing
industry. From 1942 through 1945, Del Norte saw the
construction of 21 homes under the bureaucratic scrutiny of
no fewer than four separate federal agencies. Citizens
looked to these agencies for building permits, rationed
resources, and direction through the maze of restrictions
and guidelines.
Homes developed under the federal war programs were limited
to those constructed for war industry workers. House
dimensions and the number of rooms were dictated by family
size and ages. And materials, primarily rubber, metal, and
wood was rationed. Substitution was the order of the day.
Doorknobs changed to glass from metal, tiled showers and
ceramic bowls replace cast iron tubs and sinks, and plastic
substituted for rubber.
By the early 1940s, the architecture in Del Norte had
evolved to the style of French Provincial Ranch.
Characterized by the "L" shaped or irregular floor plan, a
low pitched hip roof sheathed with wood shakes, and steel
casement windows, 24 of these popular homes were under
construction in the neighborhood in 1941. While the war
slowed construction, the Ranch Style took firm hold, and its
variations would soon come to dominate future construction.
Filling in the blanks
Although construction continued in Del Norte through
1963, the last stage of concentrated development occurred in
the late 1940s and the early 1950s. Phoenix once again was
booming. Returning servicemen who had been stationed in the
Valley for training fueled postwar growth. The establishment
of new industries and the availability of air conditioning
added impetus to
the explosive growth.
This final phase was yet another evolution of the Ranch
Style home. A simplified form of the French Provincial Ranch
was christened the California Ranch. A gable identifies
these homes or hip roof extended over the entire house,
brick wainscoting around the exterior wall, and a board and
batten, or painted brick on the upper wall surfaces.
Thousands of these homes were built in Phoenix during the
1950s, personifying Phoenix as a postwar, suburbanized city.
The present and beyond
Del Norte Place stands today as an island of
style and grace within the central city. A tribute to Dr.
Norton and long range city planning, the neighborhood enjoys
the pastoral atmosphere afforded by the surrounding
greenbelt of Encanto Park and Golf Course. Historic Del
Norte House, just to the north, now stands, surveying a
unique collection of homes representing 16 individual
architectural styles and the dramatic evolution of 20th
Century Phoenix.
Recent trends toward historic preservation and the
repopulation of downtown areas have arisen from a
recognition and appreciation for the architectural values,
community spirit, and quality of life issues that originally
inspired the creation of neighborhoods like Del Norte Place.
In 1992, residents formed the Del Norte Neighborhood
Association to promote restoration and preservation of the
district's heritage - ensuring a solid future for Dr.
Norton's "beautiful sedition" in
the 21st Century Phoenix.
Information, maps and
photographs provided courtesy:
Historic Preservation Office of the City of Phoenix
Neighborhood Services Department
200 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
(602) 261-8600
Del
Norte Place Historic
District Homes of Distinctive Style!
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Desert Showcase
